


She Asked For It

by SorrowReminisce (godfmischief)



Category: Dark Angel
Genre: Attempt at Humor, F/M, Max/Alec UST, Unresolved Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-17
Updated: 2016-09-17
Packaged: 2018-08-15 12:20:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8056084
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/godfmischief/pseuds/SorrowReminisce
Summary: First published at FFNET in 2007, this fic is based on Pai's NWP challenge: Alec catches sight of that little handholding garbage at the end of FN and decides to help Max stick to her guns to keep her distance from Logan... (M/A UST)





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> THE CHALLENGE: Alec catches sight of that little hand-holding garbage at the end of FN and decides to help Max stick to her guns to keep her distance from Logan. He proceeds to give the boyfriend of the century performance complete with public displays of affection and pet names. Max has to take it or tell Log the truth. M/A share an apartment for space's sake in TC and Log somehow is able to stay to see the show by way of transgenic transfusions. (Challenge created by Pai & found at Nuns With Pens)

Alec was mortified. It wasn't simply the fact that Max was standing beside him, holding Logan's hand. Hell, if she wanted to play those kinda games with the man who couldn't come within a foot of her without all but donning a full body condom, that was her dealio. Who was he to stand in her way? He'd warned her enough about the risk in letting Logan remain in her life; her choice if she wanted to disregard his advice.

But to give her shining paramour the impression _he_ was seeing Max, to have the man think him the bad guy, to grow used to wearing that kind of false name and get all comfortable in the kind of smug satisfaction it provoked… And _then_ go and hold Logan's hand and kick start the poor man's false hope all over again?

Worst of all, have the residents of Terminal City think Wonder-Legs had won a girl away from the Marvellous Monty Cora! Now, that hurt.

Not that anyone outside of Original Cindy was aware of their false relationship, anyway...

"Saw Robo-Legs with your girl back there."

Alec groaned inwardly as Mole's gruff and slightly patronizing voice caught him on the stairwell. "She's not my girl."

He picked up his pace a little, in no mood for having to explain himself - or Max - to anyone else right now. Hell, he was having a hard enough time trying to explain the situation to himself.

"Could've fooled me." Mole chuffed, "Gotta be a slap to the ego, huh?"

"Nope." Wincing as Mole's remark went straight to the bulls-eye, Alec forced casual indifference into his voice. "Like I said, she's not my girl."

And that was the bleak truth of it. Max may have conveniently used him as the scapegoat for her failed 'relationship' with Logan, but it was only a farce. A ridiculous charade they awkwardly acted out in Logan's presence for the sake of keeping up appearances. But it wasn't like he would confide any of this to Mole.

"Well, I wouldn't stand for it if I were you." Mole's persistence was setting Alec's teeth on edge. He gritted them and pushed open the ground floor door, half hoping it would slam in the transhuman's face and shut him on the other side.

"Hey!" Mole's shout from behind caused Alec to stop and make a slow turn, turning his eyes skyward in exasperation.

"Just tellin' you this in the hope you'll grow some balls and stop lettin' the girl make a fool outta you. Just trying to help is all."

Alec opened his mouth to reply, but saw Max appear in the stairwell behind Mole, Logan in tow. Shrugging indifference, he turned and strode across the crumbling foyer, out into the street. A stiff drink was out there, with his name on it.

**ll l lll ll l lll ll l lll ll l lll**

The Ark was full of transgenics celebrating their stand for freedom. Alec sat alone at a corner table, feet on the stool opposite and back against the wall as he toyed with his glass of scotch, scowl on face. Across the room, Max laughed alongside Original Cindy and Sketchy, while Logan stood behind her, a bewildered smile on his face at a joke missed. Alec rolled his eyes and began to rap a beat upon the table with his fingers, his irritation mounting.

At the table to his left an X5 brunette glanced periodically in his direction, a smile of invitation dancing upon her lips whenever he turned his head towards her. Alec considered the temptation to cross to her side and whisper a suggestion in her ear, but something about her appearance was putting him off. Perhaps it was the bone straight dark hair. Reminded him too much of the source of his vexation.

Besides, what could he do? Take her home to the apartment he shared with _Max_? Right. Max may have held Logan's glove-clad hand today, but until he had confirmation that she'd told Logan the truth, he didn't want to appear the guy who had not only stolen Max from under Logan's nose, but proceeded to cheat on her under their roof. Frustrated, Alec rubbed a hand across his forehead and winced at his own newly-developed conscience. Why should he care anyway?

But he did. And he was angry that Max had put him in this predicament. Unable to even pick up a one night stand because she had wanted a quick exit from her so-called relationship. A lost-cause relationship she now seemed all too happy to resume again. In it's hands-off-unless-gloved 'we're not like that anyhow' kind of way.

Mole was right. She was making him look the fool.

 _Well_ , he pondered smugly as he watched Logan exit stage left to use the Gents. _Two can play that game._

**ll l lll ll l lll ll l lll ll l lll**

"As I recall, you and I are meant to have a _thing_ going on?"

Max felt her skin tingle (with irritation of course) as Alec's whisper caressed the nape of her neck. She ducked her head away, frowning as she bent further over her drink. "Uh-huh. And your point is?"

Alec stopped. He'd been prepared for her to tell him their deception was over; that he no longer had any weird kind of moral obligation to keep his hands off other girls in Logan's presence. But no, she was still maintaining the lie of this false relationship, while leading Logan along like a little puppy on a leash. It was enough to make a guy sick.

"My point is, _sweetie_ , we have a ruse to maintain." Slipping an arm around her waist as he saw Logan approach from the corner of his eye, Alec leant in closer. "Don't we?"

Max stiffened as Alec's insinuation sank in. Then she became aware of Logan, likewise frozen, three steps away.

"Logan buddy!" Still with his arm around Max's waist, Alec flashed a cheerful grin to the cyber-journalist. "Didn't realise you were still here. Maxie and I were just talkin' about heading home for an early -"

"You know Alec, how 'bout _you_ head home?" Max cut in as she disengaged herself from Alec's embrace, a tight smile clenched between her jaws. "I'm not really tired, so I'll catch up with ya later."

"Oh?" Alec raised his eyebrows in surprise. "But hun, you just as good as told me you were keen for a quick get-away and a slooow -"

"Go home Alec!" A slight sheen of perspiration had broken across Max's forehead, and with her back to Logan, she mouthed silent pleas.

Alec chuckled at Max's discomfort and opened his mouth, but his words were replaced with a small yelp as Max gripped his arm and dug her fingers into muscle, steering him towards the door. "Here, let me walk you out."

Plastering an endearing smile across his face as he patted Max's white knuckled clasp, Alec allowed himself to be turned away from the table, winking at Logan as they passed. Once out of earshot, Max hissed, "what the hell was all that about?"

Disentangling himself, Alec brushed at the invisible talon-marks on his sleeves and adopted an innocent facade "What d'ya mean Max? I'm just doing my bit with this whole fake relationship ruse you sank me into a few days back, remember?"

As they broke out into the cold air, Alec stopped at the doorway and turned towards Max, scooting closer as he spotted Logan across the bar, watching their exchange. "Figured it best we show some affection towards each other. I mean, we don't want Logan realising he's been duped, right?"

"I don't think it's necessary Alec." Max scowled and began to step back, but Alec caught her about the waist and tugged her closer, his eyes cool. "Oh, I do _sweetie-pie_. Affection's an integral part of any normal relationship. Or so I've been told. So I think it's gonna have to be necessary if you wanna keep Loggie-boy from staying on in Terminal City - gettin' himself all lovesick and toxic-chemical sick in the process."

"Why do I get the feeling there's an 'or else' heading my way?" Max pushed against Alec's chest in effort to escape his so-called 'embrace' and let out a grunt of impatience as he refused to let go.

"You're right Maxie!" Catching her hands between his own to stop her from fighting - and to play out the parody of intimacy for their one person audience - Alec could barely contain his gleeful smile. "See, if you're not willing to carry on playing this game you started, you're gonna have to tell Logan you lied to him. About us."

Max glowered, at loss for words as she realised Alec was trying to force her into telling Logan the truth at last, knowing she'd never agree to 'play along' with their relationship ruse. Damn that boy was good.

"Why the hell are you doing this Alec? Can't you just let things be as they are until…"

"Until what Max? Until the cure for the virus is miraculously found? Until Logan's dead?" Alec's expression was incredulous. "I mean, how much longer do I have to pretend to every damn soul in this place that I'm with you? How long will you deny me the opportunity to have a relationship of my own?"

Max looked away, ashamed at the realisation of the sacrifice she'd asked Alec to make for her sake. "Fine. I'll tell him the truth."

"Good." Alec released Max and turned her towards the bar, pushing her forward slightly. "Now run along and do it quick before the girl who's making 'come hither' eyes at me leaves with someone else."

"No!"

"What?" Alec groaned and leaned against the door frame. "For Pete's sake… What now?"

"Give me a day to prepare myself." Anxious, Max tugged at Alec's arm as she spotted Logan making his way through the crowd towards them. "Just one day okay? I need to think about how I'll tell him."

Alec rolled his eyes skyward as Logan reached the door and stopped two feet from Max's side. At once he switched mood - or appeared to - and stepped forward to envelope her in a quick hug. "No worries _sugar-cake._ I'll give you some time to think about my proposition."

Releasing Max, Alec gave Logan a friendly slap on the shoulder (which left the man still rubbing it five minutes later) and added, "Don't let sweet-cheeks stay out too long. I'll be waiting up for her…"

Logan waited until Alec had turned the corner out of sight before asking in a worried tone, "What's this about a proposition?"

"Don't worry." Grimacing, Max stepped carefully past Logan and back into the warmth of the busy bar.

The anxious inquisitor turned tail and followed. "And what's with all the cheesy pet names?"

"Don't ask."

 _Tomorrow_. Max told herself. _I am definitely going to sort this all out - tomorrow._

Meanwhile, she intended to spend the night draining The Ark of it's precious beer supply.

**ll l llll ll**

 


	2. Chapter Two

The day following Alec and Max's exchange of pleasantries, Alec ran through the morning routine of shower, shave and breakfast, all the while aware that his Max/Logan/Alec love triangle dilemma was still number one priority on his mind. A disturbing thought, considering he had to mission it into greater Seattle for supplies. In which case, his number one priority _should_ be getting laid, getting supplies, getting laid again, and making it safely back to Terminal City. In that order.

Patting his face dry with the morning shave done, Alec wandered into the decaying kitchen he shared with Max, pulled out the camp cooker and set about organizing a good old-fashioned bacon and egg fry up. Minus the bacon, because such a luxury was all but non-existent even for Alec's contacts in this post-pulse world. And, he realised as he pulled the six pack of eggs out of the pantry, minus the eggs. Because each one had Max's name written on it in black marker pen.

Perplexed, Alec returned the eggs to the pantry and grabbed a lonely box of cereal. **_MAX_** sprawled across the packet caused him to snatch his hand away as if burnt. He spied half a loaf of bread in a plastic bag. Seizing it, he reached with his other hand for a mini jar of peanut butter and banged them down onto the kitchen bench. Black writing left him curling his fist in frustration. Both items had a familiar - and at this point much hated - name scrawled across them. As an added bonus, the bread bag had been marked to indicate how many slices were remaining.

"MAX!" Alec charged through the little apartment and burst into the bedroom which adjoined the lounge. "What's with this?" He demanded, pulling the blankets back from Max's sleeping form and waving the bread bag before her.

Groaning in protest, Max shook her head and peered groggily at the object in question. "Bread?"

"No, what's with THIS?" Alec thrust the bag back towards her face and pointed out the name scribbled across the bag.

"Hmm let's see. M - A - X… Alec, I thought you could spell?" Max's lips twitched with stifled glee as she made an effort to push the item away and snatch her blanket back.

"Is this your cute way of getting revenge on me? By staking out everything in this damn place as your own? God, I'm surprised my shaving cream didn't have your name on it!"

"Well actually, if you'd been paying more attention…"

"Don't ya think it's just a bit childish Max? I have as much right to what's here as you do!"

"DO you now, Alec?" Max sat up, eyes fiery. "Maybe I'm just trying to remind you of all the favours I've been doing YOU lately, huh? Letting you stay here in the apartment I'd cleared out for myself? Letting you sponge off me - "

" _Sponge_ off you?!"

"Yes Alec! Sponge off me! You're like a boy in a perpetual state of puberty! Eating everything in the pantry like you own it all, whining like a little kid when you can't get your own way with the TV channels, using up all the limited hot water and leaving god-knows-what kind of hair in the plughole…"

Alec stared like a stunned mullet, bug-eyed and mouth gaping at Max's tirade. Finally as her 'mwaap mwaap mwaaps' wound down, he rubbed a finger in his ear as if to clear it and said, "come on Max, you're just pissed because I won't play your game anymore."

She puffed. "Am not."

Frowning in disbelief, Alec began to deliver his comeback when he was interrupted by the rattle of the front door.

"Hello? Hey it's me. Max - you awake?"

Alec shook his head against his hands and laughed dryly. "Oh, this is fantastic." Then, seized by a sudden inspiration, he peeled off his t-shirt and flung it onto the floor; his jeans following quick suite.

"Alec!" Max hissed, aghast. "What the hell are you doing?"

"We're in here Logan!" Alec yelled as he roughly shoved Max along the mattress and jumped into bed beside her. Footsteps creaked against the floorboards as Alec pulled the blankets to his torso, grabbed the hands that were trying frantically to push him from the bed, and held them firmly at his waist.

The footsteps hesitated outside the bedroom door. "Can I come in?" The voice cracked, apprehensive.

"Yeah sure, we'd barely gotten started." Alec grinned as it became Max's turn to gape in horror.

Logan stepped into the room, his eyes registering barely-disguised shock as they fell upon what appeared to be a gloating, satisfied Alec, lying alongside an awkward and embarrassed Max. Caught no doubt, in the act.

"What can we do for you, buddy?" Alec chipped up, ignoring the fingers which dug sharply against his flesh. Was she actually _growling_ beneath her breath?

"Well actually, I came to speak to Max. About eh, well she asked me to come see her this morning. Last night that is." Logan glared at Max, a red flush of humiliation making its way across his face. "You had something to say to me, Max?"

Logan laughed without humour and shook his head. "But it's okay, I get it. You're with Alec. You know, you didn't need to go this far to prove your point." His gazed passed from one X5 to the other. "I could've thought of a kinder way to tell me I was wrong."

Spinning on his heel, Logan almost collided into the bedroom door in his haste to exit the room. In a few short strides he was closing the front door behind him, leaving stunned silence in his wake.

Of course, the silence was short lived.

"You _idiot_!" Max wrenched her hands from Alec's grasp and shoved him to the floor with one great heave before smashing a pillow down over his head. " _You stupid thoughtless idiot!_ "

"Hey! Woah!" Cowering against her enraged pillow assault, Alec scrambled away and snatched up his jeans and t-shirt, backing towards the door in the process.

Flinging the pillow across the room, Max leapt from the bed and slammed the door shut before Alec had a chance to make a break for it. Eyes blazing in anger, she shoved him against the frame and continued to shove at him as she launched her tirade. "What the hell did ya have to go and do that for? I told you last night I'd tell him the truth! Why do you think he turned up here so early? How the hell am I s'posed to fix this now?"

Realising that in his effort to get one back at Max, he'd essentially cocked up his own chance at freeing himself from her, Alec did the one thing he knew to do in such a situation; adapted the perfect expression of egotism for which he was named, teamed with a nonchalant shrug. "Well, what can I say Max? You asked for it."

With that, he took her firmly by the shoulders and pushed her back towards the bed, then calmly made his exit from the room. Only stopping to wince at his own foolishness once he'd shut the door behind him.

Of course she'd asked for this. She'd brought it all on herself by using him as her scapegoat in the first place. And although Logan's sudden arrival this morning had offered Alec the perfect chance to patch up the old damaged ego she'd inflicted upon him these last few days, he'd now been escorted with his own lesson in humility - and figuratively shot himself in the foot in the process.

_You started this._ He thought as he glared at the graffitied peanut butter jar left out on the bench. Although at this point, he wasn't sure who the accusation was directed at. Either way, someone was going to have to finish it. But would his ego really allow _him_ to be the one to do it?


End file.
